High nitrate question....help!

[bavass]

I have a 55g tank that has been up and running for awhile a few years. I have 55lbs of live rock. 2 powerheads in tank, turbofloater 1000 skimmer, mag drive 7.5 in sump for return, Rena Xp2 canister filter with activated carbon, phosphazorb and the standard filters all is replaced every 30 days. 2 small pumps in sump for circulation. The only thing I still have living in the tank is a star fish. Was trying to get nitrates under control before adding anything. My nitrates are off the charts. I was doing some reading and it might be beacuse I have about 4 inches of sand. Was thinking of taking out about 3 inches of sand and leaving just about 1 inch of sand. Then there is less sand for oragnics to be trapped in and be easier to clean. Should I do that or should I remove all the sand and put new in? Water changes are not helping. I have been doing about 20g a week for months almost a year now and still no drop in nitrates. Does anybody know if this will help? Was also thinking of buying some Reef Rock and adding that and make some more live rock about 50lbs is what i was thinking of adding rather than adding live rock for 3 times the price. I also use a tap water purifier when doing water changes.

 

[InfernoST]

Are you using tap water or RO/DI? If you're using tap I would stop and get an RO/DI unit. Also test your tap for nitrates, you would be surprised what's in there that aren't good for your tank.

 

[Innovator]

I would not remove the sandbed just yet. As usual, what are your water parameters? Do you use a gravel vacuum? Do you feed, how much? Do you add any buffers/additives, how much? You mention the only thing STILL living is a seastar, which makes it sounds like your previous livestock has continually died off? What kind of test kits are you using? How old are your test kits?

 

[bavass]

I would not remove the sandbed just yet. As usual, what are your water parameters? Do you use a gravel vacuum? Do you feed, how much? Do you add any buffers/additives, how much? You mention the only thing STILL living is a seastar, which makes it sounds like your previous livestock has continually died off? What kind of test kits are you using? How old are your test kits?

I use a Tapwater Purifier Deionizer Unit replace the cartridge every 3 months or about every 125g worth of water changes. All other parameters are in line. I have not removed any sand yet. I was thinking of upgrading my Rio 2100 that is on my Turboflotor 1000 with the Oceanrunner 2700 and buying a new feed pump for the skimmer. Maybe a bigger one, I am currently using a Rio 600 was thinking of going to the MJ1200?

 

[melosu58]

I would go with an RO/DI unit or at least a RO unit. A tap water purifier does not get everything you need to get out of tap water. You can get a RO/DI for just over a hundred dollars on ebay.

 

[bavass]

update Nitrates are down to 20ppm

 

[melosu58]

So what did you end up doing to get it down?

 

[bavass]

I did a 40% water change every 3-4 days using a vaccum in a different small area of the tank each time. I also replaced my cartridge in my tap water purifier. Pulled the canister filter out. Started adding Prodibio Bioclean. Sprayed the live rock down with powerhead. Cleaned Turboflotor skimmer. Replaced my two Maxijet 900's in tank with 2 Hydor Koralia 2's which they actually just got here yesterday, but I am hoping that improving the flow in aquarium will bring down more. I will say it is harder to get the nitrates to drop from 20 than from 160+. But I will keep doing water changes probably do a big water change every week from here instead of every 3-4 days. I also think I am going to buy a scavanger crew to help clean up the hard to reach areas and sift the sand. I think I am going to order the package from ReefScavengers.Com | Saltwater Aquarium Supply | Cleaner Packages, Saltwater Fish, Corals & More!! see what you think of it. I will be getting the 55g package. Hope that will also help bring the nitrates down more.

 

[bavass]

Some pics of my work in prgress

I am trying get this tank up and running correctly. Nitrates have gone from 160+ down to 20ppm. Should be able to click on image for a larger view.

Skimmer

Sump

 

[melosu58]

How about making a batch of SW for a PWC and do some water test results before you add it to the tank. We can make sure you are not adding it to the tank. Everything else looks good.

 

[bavass]

How about making a batch of SW for a PWC and do some water test results before you add it to the tank. We can make sure you are not adding it to the tank. Everything else looks good.

I actually had a batch I made up last night. Nitrates are 0. Phosphates are 0. Ammonia is 0. Nitrites are 0. Salt is 1.023. In the tank my calcium was down to 280 but I have started adding calcium and it is upto 380 as of this morning and I added more but have not tested again for today. Alkalinty in the tank is about 2.5 using a Red Sea pH & Alkalinity Test kit which is in the normal range.

O yeah, I am also a Cowboys fan! Cowboys and the Hokies!!

 

[melosu58]

Cowboys and Buckeyes here. I always tell people that my two favorite college football teams are Ohio State and whoever is playing Va tech. LOL. Well it looks like you can rule out your source water being the cause.

 

[bavass]

Mine are Hokies and whoever is playing UVA! 2014 VT plays Ohio State in Ohio, then 2015 you come to Blacksburg, LOL! The only other teams I hate are Florida and Notre Dame

 

[thincat]

Your tank looks good. One thing that I would do is place the Koralias at different depths and aim them at a 45 degree to get some better flow.
How do you like the #2's? How is the flow output of them.

 

[bavass]

Your tank looks good. One thing that I would do is place the Koralias at different depths and aim them at a 45 degree to get some better flow.
How do you like the #2's? How is the flow output of them.

Yeah did some blowing off of the live rock today and was watching some of the stuff floating around and to me it was not reaching the overflow like I tought it should so I was actually thinking of putting the pump on the right side at a 45 degree angle up towards the overflow and the pump on the left side in the back and pointing at a 45 degree angle pointing down. How does that sound. I really love the flow of these pumps. When I first got them I was disappointed when I put my hand in front of them. The remembered it is a soft flow. I sat back and watched the flow of the water and wow it is a big differnce in circulation from the maxijets.

 

[bavass]

Ok so I took your advive and moved the powerheads. Then moved them again and these pics are what I came up with. Seems to be working better.


Front you can see the different levels

Left side mounted on back pointing down about 45 degrees

Right side mounted on back pointing up at about 45 degrees

http://bavasshokie.smugmug.com/photos/682890515_uNsVW-L.jpg

 

[thincat]

That looks great. Every tank has a little different setup as far as rockwork so playing around with them until you find the "sweet" spot is the only way.

 

[bavass]

This morning my levels are

pH 8.2
SG 1.023
Nitrate 15
Phosphate 0
Calcium 400
Temp 78---Lights just came on
Nitrite 0

I think I need to get a hardness test kit. Does that have anything to do with helping to reducing Nitrates?

Sand Bed Stirring Team and Clean up crew will be the next thing I oder. Hopefully that will help.

 

[match55]

looks good!!^^
your nitrate drop so fast might cuz of your 4" DSB, it take time for the DSB to start working, but anyway, now u get everything under control ^^

once thing about the cleaning crews, you don't really need that much, as someone in here told me. I was gonna gonna a 50gal package from them too.

I would suggest pick couple that u like and get your order up to $99 and get free shipping. also order over $75 u can have a small cleaning crew from them, so why not get some feather duster or corals instead of big bags of snails and hermits. JMO, get nass snails if u want sand bed stirrers, they r omg fast!!!
here is a cheaper website for basic cleaning crews and macro algae
http://reefcleaners.org/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=4&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=34
I can't tell you how well their nerite snails help cleaning the diatom problem, its just amazing LOL. and OMG its much cheaper!! Priority Mail is a flat rate of $7.50~
and the owner(I think), he is so cool, he will throw extra snails in the bag.
I ordered 15 nerites+25nass+5mangroves first time, he gave me 18 nerites, 29nass and 9mangroves. highly recommend!

oh btw~ thats a big star right there hahaha

 

[bavass]

First thing I want to do is thank everybody on this forum. My tank already looks better than it has for a long time. To be honest I got really frustrated and gave up on the thing for awhile, but this forum has gotten me going again. THANK YOU ALL.

I think the fact I have a DSB and even though I have been doing some vaccuming when I do water changes what comes out of the sand bed is pretty nasty and dark. I just kinda feel that there is a lot more in my sand bed that needs to be cleaned out. I would love to order some feather dusters and corals but I first wanna get my Nitrates down more. The 55g package they have has 55 sand bed stirring snails which I think is really what I need. I am also hoping that since I have a Chocoalte Starfish and a few crabs that adding the clean up crew will help me to reduce nitrates by causing my skimmer to work more?